Sleeve-valve internal-combustion engine



June 1,1943. F. M. ow'NER fr". 2,320,791

sLEEvn-wmvn iuTEnuAL-comus-Tion mmm y Filed may 11. 1942 2 sums-sheet 14 June 1, 1943. A F, OWNER En., 2,320,791

- SLEEVE-VALVE INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Fned nay 11. 1942 2 sheets-singt 2 Patented June 1, 1943 UNITE-o STATES lPATIENT OFFICE I SLEEVE-VALVE INTEitNAL-'colvrUsTIoN ENGINE Frank Morgan Owner and Harry Thomas Underwood, Bristol, England, assgnorstor'lhe Bristol Aeroplane Company Limited, Bristol, England,

a British company Application May 11, 1942, Serial No. 442,522 Y In Great Britain May 26, 1941 v 4 claims. (ci, 1237-75) should be situated as near "to the head as possible, and since the exhaust-port is controlled by a port in the sleeve-valve, thesleeve-valve itself extends beyond the port in it,so that the end of the sleeve never leaves the sleeve-pocket. There is a tendency for oil and other matter to accumulate in the sleeve-pocket, especially where the' cylinder is disposed with the cylinder-head end downmost, and it is necessary toprovide means to enable such accumulation to be discharged from Ythe sleeve-pocket so that it does not obstruct movement'of the sleeve. It is'the object of the present invention to provide improved` means for this purpose.

This invention comprises an internal-combustion engine of the type above-described, wherein the cylinder is formed with a passage opening to the inner end of the sleeve-port, and so positioned with respect to the travel of the sleeve-valve that a sleeve-port registers with it, whilst the sleeve-valve is moving inwards in the pocket, whereby material trapped in the pocket can escape into the sleeve-port.

said registration persists during substantially the Preferably the construction is further characterised in that the taneous registering occurs only whilst the sleevevalve is moving inwards' in the' pocket. Preferably the positioning of the said Second passage is yet further characterised in that the sleeveport continues to register with the said second passage, until after thej sleeve-port has opened the cylinder-port.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figurel is a diagrammatic view of the head -end of a cylinder, showing the parts concerned with the presentinvention in sectional elevation,

Figures 2 toG are developed views looking from i the inside of the cylinder,` showing the cylinder exhaust-port,v the passages aforesaid, and successive positions "of the sleeve-valve and sleeveport during a cycle 'of its movement.

Figure '7 is a diagrammatic view of a single cylinder engine-embodying the invention;

Referring rst to Figures l and 7, the head end A,of a cylinder is indicated at Ill, with a reentrant cylinder-head secured in it, and providing' an' annularfspacejlt constituting a sleevepocket, into `which the sleeve-valve I3A enters.

Idof Vthe cylinder-head, and the crown of the piston I5. In the walll of the'cylinder there is indicated anfeXhau'st-port I6, and this port is controlled by'a port Il in thes'leeve-valve I3,

whole of the movement of the sleeve-valve inwards in the'pocket.

According toyet another feature of the invention, the positioning of the passage aforesaid is further characterised, in that Vregistration ofthe sleeveport and the said' passage occurs,v only whilst the sleeve-port is out of register with the cylinder-port which is controlled port. 1

According to yet another `feature of Vthe invention,-the cylinder is formed with a second passage opening at one end to the cylinder-port and extending into thesleeve-pocket, said pasby thevsieevesage being-sopositioned withrespect tothe rst passage and to the travel of the sleeveQ that whilst the sleeve-port is within-the pocket'j-it registers simultaneously with the first-passage andthe 7seccrid passage. Preferably* suchv simuliwall Ill of 4the' cylinder, e'xte the-'latter beingrecipro'cated and' oscillated with-` in "the: cylinder by any known or convenient mechanism, indicated generally by the'reference 23 ln Figure '7. v

The exhaust-port It, of which there may be '-'more thanV one', is p ositicnedwithits upper edge I8, aligned withgthe' peripheral'edge I4 of the cylinderhead I I 'sojtha't'the" whole area of the port is'as near thefcylinde'r-head as is con;

*The exhaust-port 'I6 is controlled by the sleevethe sleeve-valve, so thatt ly leaves thesleevef-pocke' l I A; passage I9 constituted by a groove in the y s from the end of the Vsleeve-pocket 'beyondtheinnermost posi- Vtion of the sleeve-Valve, towards the combustion chamber into which itjfopensrat' vthe end' 20. Preferably-this endis enlarged at 2l'l (see Figure 2) into aperipl'ieral gr'fcovejof short annular'eX- tentl A second passage" l23` also constitute'dby a groove'l formed in the l'cylinder wall,A` opens at one;

lies with-inll the' sle'ijeve-pc'icket. These grooves 'or -passag'es I9, 23 areforrlnedfon; the inner surface" endintothefexhausteport IS, and its `other end The combustion-'chamber is bounded by the' endl port I'I, whichs'is spacedI Yaway*fromthe end of. latter, never entire- Y Referring now to Figures 2; to V`6, the developed views of the various parts are indicated by the same references as in Figure 1, namely the cylinder-wall I with the exhaust port lormedin it,`

the sleeve-valve I3 with the port I1 formed in it, the passages I9 and 23 formed in the cylinderwall I0, and there is also shown a datum-line 24, corresponding to the peripheral edge Ill-ofv the cylinder-head I I, with which the upper edge I8 of the exhaust-port IB is aligned. The path of movement of the sleeve-valve is indicated by the` broken line 25, this being the path of the point 26 near the top of the port I1 (see Figure 2), which traverses the path 25 in an anti-clockwise direction. Y

The disposition of the passages I9 and 23 is determined with respect to the path of movement and shape of the sleeve-port I1, vas will now be described. In Figure 2 the sleeve-valve I3 is shown in the position it occupies just after the exhaust-port IS of the cylinder has been closed, and the sleeve-valve I3, is commencing its movement inwards into the sleeve-pocket. At this point, the port I1 opens to the extension 2I of the passage I9, so as to provide communication from the interior of the sleeve-pocket to the combustion-chamber, and permit the discharge of any matter accumulated in the sleeve-pocket into the port I1; it may pass therefrom into the combustion-chamber, or if the quantity is but small, will Aaccumulatein the port I1fon the lower edge thereof.`

This transfer of matter from the sleeve-pocket I2, continues during the upward movement of the valve to the position shownin Figure 3, it being appreciated that the Vsaid matter is displaced from the sleeve-pocket by the inward movement of the valve thereto. Figure 3, the lower edge 21 of the port I1, has just passed upwards above the datum-line 24, so that the port I1 is now entirely closed, bythe cylinder-wall on its outer side, and by the cylinder-head on its inner-side, but the second passage 23 is so disposed, that at this point the port I1 commences to open to it.

Figure 4 shows a further stage in the movement of the sleeve I3, at which the passage 23 is open to the port I1, so that any material contained in the sleeve-port I1, can escape through the passage '23 to the exhaust-port I6, which is of course shut off from the combustion-chamber by the solid wall of the sleeve-valve I3, but is open to 1 atmosphere at its outer side. Any further matter forced out of the sleeve-pocket I2 into; the passage I S-by the continued inward movement ofthe valve I3, isthus delivered intorthe exhaust-pipe insteadof being delivered into the combustionchamber.

The discharge of, matter from the pocket I2 continues in this way, until the valve reaches its inmost position in the sleeve-pocket, as shown in Figure 5, at which point its port I1 moves out of register with thepassage I9, whilst, however,

still remaining in register. with the passage 23.- Y

When'the valve is ymoving from ythefposition j shown'inligure 5 tothe position shown -`in Fig- In the position shown in Vmaterial which has been forced into 'the sleeve- 10.

port I1, can drain out through the passage 23 to the exhaust-port and out of the engine, until the port I1 commences to open the exhaust-port I6, as shown in Figure 6. At this point the exhaust-gases, after a power-stroke of the engine, begin to be discharged through the two ports, and sweep out with them any matter in the port I1,

e and .this action can continue during the whole period during which the exhaust-port I6 is opened bythe sleeve-port I1.

The movement of the sleeve I3 continues until the exhaust-port I6 is closed, and the various parts returned to the position shown in Figure 2 on completion of the cycle of operations of the valve, and the same cycle isthen repeated.

The whole operation of the discharge of unwanted matter from the sleeve-pocket may be briefly described as follows: The sleeve-port I1 acts as a travelling conduit and the matter is discharged into it, a-nd possibly into the combustion-chamber as soon as the sleeve commences its movement inwards into the pocket. As soon as communication between the sleeve-port and the combustion-chamber is cut off, a fresh path of discharge to theV second passage 23 and thence to the exhaust-port is opened, and this remains lopen until the exhaust-port itself is opened by .the exhaust gases in the cylinder, or in the exhaust-passag'e, and that throughout the inward stroke of the sleeveY into the sleeve-pocket, there is provided an outlet for matter discharged from the pocket either into the sleeve-port, or through it into the combustion-chamber, or to the exhaust-port. i

Finally, ,11; wm.v be understood ,that since the sleeve-port is open to the passage I9 during substantially the whole of the inward movement of `the sleeve-valve, if the quantityv of matter to be dealt with is not too great but can be accommodated Within the sleeve-port, it will be unnecessary to use the second passage 23, since the unwanted matter can-be accumulated in the sleeveport, and driven out therefrom by the opening of the exhaust-port.

Ylli/ecl'aim: -j j y 1v.V In aV four-stroke internal-combustion engine,.a cylinder having a re-entranthead to provide asleeve-valve pocket, a sleeve-valvehaving a combined reciprocating and oscillating movement within the cylinder with its end accommodated within the` pocket, and a piston reciprocable within the sleeve-valve, which cylinder land sleeve-valve are formed with co-operating'ex-- haust ports, and which cylinder is formed with a passage opening to the inner end of the pocket, and so positioned with respectl to the travel of the valve that it registers with the exhaust port in the sleeve-valve whilst the valve is moving inwards in the pocket, and that it is covered by the sleeve valve during the power and exhaust strokes of the piston in the cylinder.

2. In an internal-combustion engine, a cylinder having a. re-entrant head to provide a sleevevalve pocket, and a sleeve-valve having one end tting with the pocket, and having a combined reciprocating and oscillating movement within the cylinder and pocket, which cylinder and sleeve-valve have co-operating exhaust ports, and which cylinder is formed with a passage opening into the inner end of the pocket, and so positioned with respect to the travel of the sleevevalve as to register with the exhaust port in the sleeve-valve during substantially the whole of the movement of the sleeve-valve inwards in the pocket and to be covered by the sleeve-valve during the remainder of the movement of the latter.

3. In an internal-combustion engine, a cylinder having a re-entrant head to provide a sleevevalve pocket, and a sleeve valve having a combined reciprocating and oscillating movement in the cylinder, and having one end fitting within the pocket, which cylinder and sleeve valve are formed with co-operating exhaust ports, and which cylinder is formed with a. first passage opening to the inner end of the pocket and so positioned with respect to the travel of the sleevevalve as to register with the exhaust port therein, while the valve is moving inwards in the pocket, and to be covered by the valve while it is moving outwards in the pocket, and with a second passage opening to the exhaust port in the cylinder, and so positioned with respect to the travel of the valve as to register with the exhaust port therein during the portion of the movement of the sleeve-valve into the pocket after the exhaust port therein has fully entered the pocket, and no longer communicates with the interior of the cylinder.

4. The subject matter of claim 3, wherein the second passage is so positioned that it continues to register with the exhaust port in the sleevevalve until the said port again registers with the port in the cylinder.

FRANK MORGAN OWNER. HARRY THOMAS UNDERWOOD. 

